The Snowglobe
by LonelyRipper
Summary: An Emison Christmas one shot :)


Hi, guys! Here's an Emison Christmas one shot for you. It takes place after the time jump on Christmas Eve into Christmas day. Emison have already seen each other a few times since the jump, but haven't discussed the past or their feelings yet. I hope you'll enjoy.

Rosewood had this perfect glow around it during Christmas time. Lights were strung up everywhere in town and the snow subtly glistened against the semi-clouded sunlight. A soft breeze angled the snowflakes just enough to look like a scene straight out of of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Yes, Rosewood was littered with secrets, lies and betrayal, but it all seemed like a blur in beautiful moments like these. Emily stood on the sidewalk, relishing in her snow-covered memory lapse.

Silver Bells started playing on Emily's phone, but she didn't have to look to know who was calling her. She and her mother, Pam, were planning to spend Christmas in Colorado with family on her father's side. It seemed like the right thing to do, but Emily couldn't be bothered with it at all. Wayne was HER father. She didn't want to spend her first Christmas without him with family she barely knew. She'd rather curl up in bed with one of his huge Army sweaters, make hot chocolate, and watch his favorite Christmas movies. _It wasn't too much to ask for_ , she thought.

Emily removed her right glove and took her iPhone out of the back pocket. Her shivering thumb hovered over the green phone icon, hesitating to answer. She slid it.

"H-hey, Mom."

"Emily! Thank god I've finally got you. Why haven't you been answering your phone?" Pam asked.

"Sorry, I uhh… I was on the road and didn't want to get pulled over. You know the police are extra cautious around this time of year."

"Ahh, right. So you're at the airport?"

Emily's mother was already in Colorado. She went ahead since Emily wanted to do some volunteer work at the soup kitchen before leaving.

"No. I'm in Rosewood."

"Rosewood? Emily, your flight leaves in an hour and it'll take you 45 minutes just to get to Philly. Why on Earth are you still in Rosewood?"

Emily paused, open-mouthed. She thought of making up some ridiculous excuse, but why? She can deal with her father's loss anyway she wants.

"Look, mom. I don't want to sit around with a bunch of strangers who call themselves 'family' when I nor dad has heard from them in years. They didn't care about him when he was alive, so this invite is nothing but them trying to clean up their guilty conscious. Have fun without me. I'm not up for faking a smile this year or ever again for that matter."

There was a long, tense silence. It seemed for a moment that Pam was going to explode into a fit of anger, but she simply replied with, "O… okay, honey. I understand. You should have told me you felt this way. I would've rather been with you."

"I know, I just… I didn't want to ruin anything. I thought I could tough it out but I just can't."

"You don't ever have to do that, Emily. He was… is still your father and this is hard on you."

"Yeah..."

"Well, a snow storm is coming so I don't think I can make it out of here. I don't want to be all alone on Christmas."

"I won't be alone, mom. I'm sure dad is watching over me. I'll be fine."

"Okay. I love you, Emily."

"Love you too, mom. Try to enjoy Aspen. And go snowboarding for me."

"I'll try my best, sweetheart."

"Good. See ya."

"Bye."

Emily ended the call and breathed a sigh of relief. That went a lot better than she imagined it would. Things just didn't come easily for her lately, so she appreciated even the smallest of things. A second later, her phone buzzed. It was a text from Spencer: "Hey. So are you going to Colorado?" Emily removed the other glove, stuffed it in her coat pocket and started walking down the sidewalk, head down in text position.

She typed: No. I couldn't do it. What are you up to tonight?

Spencer: Good for you. I'm doing nothing. My parents are off in Cancun doing things that I do not want a mental image of. And Toby and I can't even speak to each other for longer than 2 minutes so I guess you're my Christmas Eve date.

Emily: Oh. Idk. I was kinda thinking of being alone.

Spencer: Alone? No. I won't let you. Come over tonight.

Emily: No it's ok. I was just gonna watch some old home movies of my dad anyways.

Spencer: Then I'll watch them with you.

Emily: It's really okay. Be with Toby. You know he won't let you be alone. Doesn't matter what you 2 are dealing with. Watching old home movies sounds better than 3rd wheeling anyway tbh lol.

Spencer: I haven't heard from him so it's just you and me. But either way you won't be 3rd wheeling. Toby and I aren't even together.

Emily: If you say so ;)

Spencer: Stfu and be over at 7. And for that slick remark you're bringing the champagne. I'm not a cheap date btw. You know the kind I like $$$

Emily: Lol. Yeah I know. See ya later.

Spencer: Don't be late.

Her mind was set on spending time alone this Christmas, but Spencer had a way of knowing when Emily's mind contradicted her heart. Emily was a Christmas girl. Always had been. This year she was missing her father, but she didn't really want to be all by herself. Emily smiled at her phone and tucked it away, grateful for her long time friend.

She found herself out in front of a small Rosewood shop called _The Casa_. It had all the expensive wine, cheese and chocolate Spencer loves. So she decided to go in and get some treats for tonight. Once inside the glowing, wooden little store, she pulled her phone back out and shot Spencer another text.

Emily: I won't be late. But you're bringing the popcorn.

Spencer: Deal.

It was 6:30PM and the snow was coming down so fiercely and thick, Emily could hear it thudding against the windows. Fully dressed to deal with the harsh weather, she decided to go out and warm her car up. She opened the front door to her house to find a mound of snow that came up to the middle of her thigh. It was at _least_ three feet deep.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Emily asked the snow as if she was expecting a reply. She took a deep breath and let her shoulders lift up near her ears, then dropped them in preparation for her hike to the car. She climbed up onto the mini mountain and started walking to the driveway. Well… she had to pick her knees up high above her waist, so it looked more like she was working out or pretending to be an animal of some sort, but it was walking nonetheless. In due time, Emily got to her car. She pulled on the driver's side door handle and… nothing. It was frozen shut.

"No… no, this isn't happening. This can't be happening." She yanked on the door a couple of times. "Yup, this is happening." Emily looked down at her silver Honda and realized it was futile. It was smothered in three to four feet of snow and wouldn't move even if she got the door open somehow. Spencer's house was six minutes away by car but over a 30 minute walk in normal weather. There was no possible way she was making it over there. At least not without suffering from acute hypothermia or her skin turning to ice and shattering midway. Emily crossed her arms over the top of her car and buried her head in them. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

She lifted her head and examined the twinkling Christmas lights on her street. One side of her mouth lifted just enough to see a tiny grin. Perhaps she was going to laugh not cry. But the green, red, and gold lights suddenly glared harsher as a pool of warm water spilled its way onto Emily's eyes. The lump in her throat was so tight she could barely breathe. She clenched her eyes shut and tried to swallow in hopes it would stop the tears but it didn't. They streamed down her chilled cheeks and dripped onto the snow below her. A sorrowful sob escaped Emily's mouth and she covered her mouth with her black-gloved hands. Then she cried… and she cried… and she cried.

Just when Emily thought she would never stop crying, she was interrupted by the sound of a woman grunting, seemingly in pain. She peered around trying to find where it came from.

"Rrrrrrggggg!" The woman cried out.

"Hello?" Emily asked. She waited a bit, then when she didn't get a reply she quickly started her crab-like walk towards the road. When finally there, she glanced to her right to see a woman across the road trying to push the back of her car. The snow was piled a little lower than in her drive way so Emily managed to walk fairly quickly over to the woman.

"Hey!" Emily said, approaching. "Are you okay?"

"Ughhh. Ughhh." The woman grunted trying to catch her breath. She had her back leaned against the car, hands clenching the bumper and feet stomping the ground. The blonde woman finally lifted her face to Emily.

"Alison? Wh-what are you doing?"

"I'm trying… to get… my car… unstuck." Gasping.

Emily paused, mouth agape, and looked back and forth between Alison and her snow-jammed car. She started to chuckle but covered her mouth.

Alison shot a frustrated look at the bundled up brunette.

"Are you _laughing?_ _Really?_ This isn't funny!"

Emily continued to giggle, "I'm sorry, really. Really, I am. But…" She was interrupted by her own laughter.

"Yeah? Yeah, I can see that." Alison tried biting back her smile but she couldn't contain it. She shook her head, realized how ridiculous this was and found herself laughing, too. They caught eyes a few times in their fit of giggles which only made them laugh more.

Alison sighed as she stood upright. She stood maybe two feet in front of Emily.

"Welp. I've never actually slept in the back of car, but I guess I can just convince myself it's comfortable."

She knew there was no way she'd let Ali sleep outside in the cold, but the thought of her spending the night in her house made Emily nervous. There was so many words left unsaid between them and they've barely spoken to each other since their return to Rosewood. She wondered what it would be like just to be around one another again.

"Ali, you don't have to sleep in your car my house is right there."

"No, please. I don't wanna trouble-"

"You won't be troubling me. You need a place to crash not a kidney."

"Nope. You paused."

"I didn't pause."

"I know a pause when I hear one."

"It didn't. Promise."

Alison examined Emily's face through the thick blankets of snow showering down. She remembered the snow globe she gave to Emily the day she disappeared, how she promised never to tell anyone about it. After all these years, they were right back where they started. A promise in the snow.

"Come on, Ali"

"Alright."

Emily and Alison crab-walked their way back to Emily's house. Slowly but surely, covered in snow, they got through Emily's front door and escaped into the warmth. Em hurredly shut the door behind them then they stomped their feet on the rug and brushed themselves off. Piece by piece, they removed their wet coats, scarves, gloves and boots in the foyer, still catching each others eyes every few moments.

"So."

"So." Alison smiled.

"Oh, crap. I have to text Spencer. You can go in the family room, I'll catch up."

"Okay."

Emily got her phone out of her jean's back pocket and walked into the kitchen as she typed: "Hey Spence. I can't make it. Car's stuck. Sorry."

Spencer: Fuck. Toby did come over but I still wanted to hang with you. You're gonna be all alone :(

Emily: I'm not alone. It's okay. You two have fun ;)

Spencer: You're not? Who are you with?

Emily hesitated but decided to tell the truth: Alison.

Spencer: Oooohhhh. Alison. I hope your car gets "unstuck." Have fun ;)

Emily: Shut up. Goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow.

Spencer: I hope you have a VERY Merry Christmas ;)

Emily ignored the teasing text and rolled her eyes. It wasn't like that. Alison just needed a place to keep warm. She was being a good Samaritan. That's all. Yeah.

During Spencer's teasing, Emily made herself and Ali hot chocolate. Whipped cream, marshmallows and a dash of cinnamon on Ali's, just whipped cream on mine. She took the two scolding mugs into the family room.

"For you. Careful it's hot."

"Oh wow. Thanks, Em.

Emily sat down on the couch beside Ali facing the fire in the fireplace.

"You remembered."

"I remembered?"

"Whipped cream, marshmallows and cinnamon."

"Oh. Right. Yeah." Em looked down grinning. "It's just uncommon so ya know… easy to remember."

"Right," Ali nodded. The grip around her steaming, reindeer printed mug tightened.

There was a moment of silence as they drank their hot chocolate. Alison started to giggle when they stopped.

"What's so funny?"

"Haha. You."

"Me?"

"Yeah. Haha. You've got a little something." Alison reached forward and used her thumb to wipe a smudge of cream off of Emily's nose. Her fingers gently cupped the side of Emily's cheek. "Got it." Ali put the whipped cream from her thumb in her mouth.

Emily was frozen watching the dab of white cross Ali's perfect lips.

"Uhh. Thanks."

"Mhm."

"S-so, where were you headed before your car got stuck?" Emily asked, snapping out of it.

"I was on my way home."

"Someone waiting for you?"

"Yes, actually."

Emily glanced up.

"Oh yeah? Lucky guy."

"Girl."

"Oh..."

"My dog. She has a lot more body hair than I'm used to but she's one hell of a cuddler."

Emily smiled whilst exhaling a breath of relief. She felt a bit embarrassed.

They laughed.

"What about you? Sounded like you had to cancel on Spencer."

"Yeah. We were going to hang out but my car door is frozen shut and looks like a snow mobile so yeah, had to cancel."

"But what about your mom?"

"She's in Aspen with some of my dad's family. I was supposed to go with her but… yeah."

"But what?"

Emily drank.

"I just didn't feel like faking it. The point of the trip was to make this first Christmas without him easier, but how can it ever be easy? No amount of skiing and party games can change the fact that my father is dead and will always be dead. I refuse to smile my way through it. I don't expect you to understand but-"

"No, Em. I do understand. After my mom died," Ali pensively glanced down at her cup, "I smiled my way through everything. Christmas was the worst of it."

"Right. Of course. I really am sorry, Ali."

"Don't apologize. It's no one's fault. But I do get it. I wish I was as brave then as you are now. You'll make it through this."

"That's not what I apologized for."

"What do you mean?"

"That Christmas you were alone and you shouldn't have been. We fell for A's trap, but it's no excuse. You had just lost your mother and you were hurting. No matter what happened I… we should've been there for you. And I'm sorry."

Ali's eyes turned doughy and sad puppy-like. The Christmas tree lights glistened off her watery baby blues. She turned away from the fire in hopes Emily didn't see the tears blanketing her eyes.

"Thank you, Em."

"Don't thank me. I'm about five years late saying that."

"It's never too late to tell someone how you feel."

For a moment they looked into each others eyes, silence in the air. The stillness was dense as if every word they left unsaid suddenly escaped their hearts and filled the space between them. It had weight, gravity. They could feel themselves being pulled back into the consuming love they thought was lost. But it wasn't. Truthfully, it was always there, tugging at their heart strings like an incessant child.

"Uh. I… I should go heat these up." Emily broke the silence, grabbed Ali's mug and quickly ducked into the kitchen. She slapped the mugs on the counter and took a few deep breaths. It felt like she was being suffocated. Five years had passed. How could Emily still be in the same struggle between loving Ali and being afraid to love her? She shook the thoughts away. She does enough thinking nowadays. She doesn't need this.

After heating up their drinks once again, Emily took another deep breath and made her way back to the family room.

"What are you doing?" Em asked, stopped dead in her tracks.

Alison was standing with the bottle of champagne Emily bought for Spencer.

"I think we need something stronger than hot chocolate."

Emily couldn't help herself. She gave a smile so wide and bright, you'd think she was hiding the sun between her teeth.

"HAHAHA! Oh my god! Do you remember the night of Noel's Halloween party?"

Emily gasped, "You mean the night you scared us half to death like a fucking psycho?!"

"YES! HAHAHA!"

"Oh my god, I wanted to kill you."

"The look on your face was totally priceless. And Spencer in that ridiculously ugly costume made it even better."

"Haha! What even was that? Queen something…?"

"Uhh..."

"Mary Queen of Scots!" They blurted simultaneously.

"That thing was repulsive," Ali proclaimed while pouring herself and Emily more champagne. After the first bottle they found themselves on a couple of roll out mattresses in front of the fireplace. The couch was too confined for their raucous nostalgia. "But you sure didn't look repulsive."

Emily glanced up to meet Ali's eyes.

"What? How could I forget that cute little Indian girl costume? I was watching you practically the whole night."

"No, you weren't." Emily grinned.

"I was! How else do you think I caught you eye balling Jenna?"

"You caught me because you were a psycho. ALWAYS needing to know everything. Haha."

Ali's smile faded and eyebrows furrowed. Emily followed suit.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Ali asked, a certain hurt in her voice.

Emily was wide-eyed, yet still.

Before Em could speak, Ali jumped up from the roll out beds. Just as she was going to start storming off she stopped and furiously swung around.

"Ya know I might've understood before but now? Emily, what is it going to take for you to get that I loved you. I always loved you."

The brunette's mouth fell open slightly.

"Who do you think I was picturing as I crawled my way out of the dirt that night? Who do you think was on my mind every single night I spent running from A? Who do you think I came back to Rosewood for?"

Emily took a hard look at each of Ali's flickering blue eyes. Her brows had faintly wrinkled as she realized Alison had never been so honest with her before. Champagne or not, there was a sincerity in her voice that Emily couldn't quite recognize, but warmed her insides. It was a relieving sensation.

"You, Emily… It has always been you and it will always be you. I thought the night we… were together you'd have known that. But I'm still here having to prove myself and how I've felt for you. I just..." Ali shook her head and shrugged. "I give up."

"No. Don't say that." Emily stood, cupped the sides of Ali's face and made her sobbing eyes meet hers.

"Don't give up on me. I've always known, okay? You left a hole in my heart, Ali. Losing you was the hardest thing I've ever had to go through. When my dad died I wanted nothing more than to have your hand in mine, where it belonged. Telling myself you didn't really love me made being without you easier. The time you were gone and these past five years… I've gotten so used to lying to myself that the truth scares me. But I can't stay away from you anymore."

"Then don't." Alison gazed into her love's big brown doting eyes. She clasped Emily's wrists, shut her eyes and nestled into the hands that still cupped her face. "Don't stay away from me anymore," she whispered.

Emily closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the blonde's then breathed her in.

Their lips trembled as they moved in closer and closer. Their hearts thudding against the walls around them. Their breaths colliding against the others like a thunderous calm before the storm. The dancing fire behind them barely visible as but an inch separated their yearning bodies. Then stillness… a stillness so great time stopped. A stillness interrupted only by a faint prompt.

"Kiss me."

Then Emily fell into her lips with a kiss so deep Ali could swear their bodies melted into one. Ali wrapped her arms around Emily's waist as they suckled and tasted each others mouths. The brunette massaged her tongue onto Ali's, slowly… tentatively. She was savoring the warmth and sweetness she longed for all these years. Taking her time with every tongue stroke. Then Ali breathed a moan into Emily's mouth. She pulled her tongue back to suck Em into her mouth and kiss on her bottom lip. Em ran her fingers through the long, dangling blonde locks. Careful not to yank. They shared another long, deep kiss then their lips finally parted. Breathing, they fell entranced by the golden brown and ocean blue eyes before them.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that," Ali finally whimpered, breaking the silence.

"What took you so long?" Em replied with handfuls of blonde still in her fists.

"Wanna know what else I remember?"

"Tell me."

"That day when we went swimming together for the first time. Then we got out and went to the locker room."

"That's not a very good memory."

"I know," Ali said as she turned around. "That's why I wanna do it right this time."

Ali wiggled out of her pink, long-sleeved sweater and threw it on the ground.

"Unhook me?" Ali dared, glancing over her right shoulder.

Emily was frozen for a moment, but moved in behind Ali just close enough to where the blonde's backside ever so slightly brushed against the outside of her pants. Ali could feel Em's heat radiating off the length of her back.

The brunette watched as the fire's light danced across Ali's pinkish cheek. She smoothed the blonde locks to one side, exposing her right side. It made Ali appear to be a Roman Goddess of some sort.

"Don't move," Emily said. Then she unhooked the light blue laced bra, put a finger under each strap, traced up and pulled the straps down off her shoulders. After a brief pause, Emily placed a small, long kiss upon Ali's shoulder. She then wrapped her arms around her waist and breathed into Ali's neck, using spread fingers to caress her supple stomach.

Ali let her bra drop to the floor. She curled her arm backward to wrap around Emily's neck and pulled her deeper in. A soft moan escaped her lips as Emily's hand grasped between her legs while the other cupped her right breast. Ali ran her fingers through the dark brown locks behind her and leaned her head back, gasping as Em's neck suckling sent a tightening warmth down through her core to her pussy.

Emily savored the strawberry scented skin in her mouth. She licked and sucked until faint red hickey marks came to the surface. Then Ali turned around and pressed against the brown-eyed beauty and wrapped her legs around her waist. Emily cupped Ali's soft apple-bottom ass, placed another kiss on her pink-stained lips, and took her upstairs to Emily's bedroom.

"Merry Christmas, Sleepy Head."

Her vision was still blurry, but Emily could just make out Ali standing at the side of her bed wearing an old athletic top of Em's. It was bluish purple with a big 23 on the front.

"Hey, you."

"Hey," Ali giggled.

Em blinked a few times to realize Ali was also holding a mistletoe over her head.

"Haha. Okay, I thought _I_ was the corny Christmas loving girl."

"What can I say," Ali leaned in, "you rub off on me."

Their lips met and they smiled in between morning kisses. Emily wrapped her arms around Ali's core and pulled her across her own body back onto the bed. They laughed traded a few pecks.

"Stop. We can't get carried away. I have a present waiting for you downstairs."

"A present?"

"Yes, so get your sexy tanned ass out of bed and put some clothes on. I'll be waiting for you."

Emily groaned as Ali got out of bed again and went downstairs. She slipped on a pair of super skinny sweats, threw on a loose tee, put on some slippers and headed down the stairs.

"Wait wait wait!" Ali yelled out before Emily rounded the corner.

"What?!"

"Close your eyes!"

"How can I walk if I can't see? I'm not Jenna."

"Just… wait." Ali shuffled around a few moments then.

"Okay, come in."

Emily rounded the corner to find Ali waiting on the couch. She glared around trying to figure out what the big surprise was.

"Come sit."

"What's this about?" Em asked, sitting.

"Last night in the snow, you made me a promise and it reminded me of something. It reminded me of the very first present I gave to you."

Emily paused. She was clueless.

"So I did some digging around in your attic because I knew you could never get rid of it. It took me a while and some serious tip-toeing but… here it is."

Ali pulled from around her back a snow globe. _The_ snow globe.

"Is that…" Em asked.

"Yeah. It's our snow globe. The one I gave to you the day I disappeared."

"I… I'm..." Her voice cracked.

"From our first promise to the last."

"I love you, Ali."

"I love you too, Emily."

Then they sealed the most perfectly unexpected Christmas morning with a kiss that will last a lifetime.

THE END :)


End file.
